Tips To Maintain Your Data Center During the Winter
December 14, 2022
Cold temperatures and winter conditions lead to seasonal issues for many businesses, including data centers. Learn some of the risks the cold season brings with it and discover some tips to maintain your data center during the winter months.
Control Temperatures
Freezing temperatures can cause issues for data center equipment, which can’t withstand frigid temperatures. The cold can stress the equipment, causing it to work outside its design parameters. In turn, this puts wear and tear on your equipment and hurts its longevity. The American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends you keep your data center heated between a range of 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit to 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Maintaining this proper temperature control window will also help prevent other winter damage risks in your data center, such as freezing pipes and moisture buildup.
Manage Humidity Levels
As with temperature, it’s also crucial to maintain a stable humidity level in your data center, especially during the winter. Too much humidity can lead to the presence of excessive moisture, while a lack of humidity can result in static shocks that can damage your equipment or cause injuries. ASHRAE recommends you set your humidifier to a dew point of 41.9 degrees Fahrenheit to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help keep moisture and humidity at a safe level and prevent issues.
Prevent Freezing Pipes
Many data centers use water to cool their servers, which involves running active water pipelines to the building and location. During the winter, these can freeze just like any other water pipes. It’s crucial to prevent freezing pipes to ensure your data center has access to water. This also prevents breakages, which could leak water into your data center. Insulate any exposed pipes and maintain a warm environment throughout your data center, even when it’s unoccupied.
While maintaining your data center, you should consider how factors like cold and winter wear and tear will affect your business. Following these tips to maintain your data center during the winter is one of the best ways to prevent data center downtime. Remember to watch your building’s temperatures as it gets colder outside.
